Hydraulic transmission



March 9, 1943. C. B. cooK HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION Filed Aug. 25, 1941 Iulllllll IIIIIIII I BYV Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES. PATENT oFFlci:

Charles B. Cook, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 25, 1941, serial No. 408,202

4 claims'. (cl. 19a-5c) This invention relates to hydraulic transvmissions. o

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved transmission including a driven member and a driving member wherein a novel hydraulic gear connects the members. K

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel valve construction for a hydraulic gear.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic gear including an outer drive member having cooling means thereon.

Another object'of the invention is to provide `a novel valve for controlling an hydraulic transmission.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel governor for controlling the valve of a hydraulic transmission.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the. accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional viewshowving 'a transmission embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line l2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view'taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary inside face view of the housing showing the escape gutters; and

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference character, I have shown my invention as embodied in a transmission which is indicated generally at I8. As shown, the transmission includes a housing I I which has a pump chamber I2 therein in which a disk I3 mounted on a shaft I 4 rotates. The outer periphery of the disk I3 is spaced inwardly from the outer periphery of the pump chamber I2 thus creating an annular channel I5. The pump chamber I2 is closed by-a plate I6 which is secured to the housing I I by any suitable means such as bolts I1. The-shaft I4 extends through the plate I6 which has a packing gland I8 secured thereto and disposed about the shaft I4.

As shown in Fig. 2, a portion of the outer wall of the pump chamber I2v is curved inwardly as at I9 and meets the outer periphery of the disk I3 as at 20. The face of the inwardly curved portions I9 has tapered gutters 2I therein which vanish at the portion as shown in Figs. 2

and 4.

The disk I3 has diametrically opposed slots 22 therein which slidably receive pistons 23, the

louter faces of which conform to the curvature The pistons 23 each have a cylindrical bore 24 partially therethrough which receives a compression spring 25 which normally urges the piston outwardly. A smaller pressure equalizing bore 26 communicates with the outer faceof thel piston and the bore 24.

The housing II includes a plurality of conduits 21 which communicate at one end thereof with the /channel I5 and at the other end thereof with a valve chamber 28 in the housing II. A valve 29 slidably ts in the valve chamber 28 and has a small bore 30 therethrough to equalize the pressure on each side thereof as it slides in the chamber. cess 3| which receives one end of a crank mem- .ber 32 which is connected to a rod 32 rotatably supported in the wall of the chamber 33 which communicates with the valve chamber 28. The outer end of the rod 32' is connected to a crank arm 34 which is pivoted to a link 34.

The housing II at the end of the valve chamber 28 remote from the pump chamber I2 has a flange 35'thereon which is secured as by'bolts 36 to a flange 31 on a shaft 38. A gasket 39 is disposed between the flanges 35 and 311 Mounted on the shaft 38 I show two circular plates 40 and 4I respectively which are shown as seuredto the shaft 38 by set screws 42 and are spaced' apart by a stationary cylindrical housing 43 having inturned edges 44 which rotatably engage similarly shaped shoulders 45 in the circular plates 49 and 4I. Slidably mounted `on the shaft 38 between the plates 40 and 4I and within the housing 43 I showa disk 48 which is prevented from rotating relative to the shaft 38l by means of a key 49.v The disk 48 has a circumferential recess therein which slidably receives ears 5U on a clutch yoke 5I which is pivotally supported as at 52. The free ends' of the lyoke 5I extend through an aperture 53 in the housing 43 and is sealed by a flexible seal 54.

The link 34 extends through the plate 4I and is secured to the disk 48. Thus as the disk 48 is moved along the shaft 38 by means of the yoke 5I, the link 34 rotates the crank 32 which in turn moves the valve 29 in the valvechamber 28. The valve is adapted to allow free communication between the conduits 21 when in one position,'and to gradually shut oi all communication between these conduits when moved to the other position, as shown in Fig. 6.

'I'he plates 40 and 4I each have a layer of felt 55 secured to the inner faces'thereof. Mounted about the yshaft 38 and disposed between the disk 48 and the plate 4I I show a compression spring The valve 29 also includes a re- 88, the normal force of which may be varied by releasing the set screws 42 and sliding the plates 40 and 4I and the housing 43 along the shaft 38.

About the shaft 38 and between the disk 48 and the plate 48 I show a ring 51 secured to the shaft 38 as by a set screw i8. The ring 81 has diametrically opposed, outwardly extending, slotted ears 59 thereon to each of which is pivoted an L-shaped governor arm 80 which has a. ball 8l on the free end thereof and which at the other end thereof have rounded tips 82 which bear against the disk 48. `Thus when the shaft 38 rotates, the balls 8l move outwardly and the arms 80 move the disk 48 against the tension spring drive shaft, but shaft 38 is preferably the drive shaft. At low speeds of the drive shaft 38, when the weights 6I are ineffective, 'the spring 58 main-- tains the valve in closed position, and the valve is moved from closed to open position manually.

4At higher speedsof the shaft 38 the valve is urged' to open position by the action of the weights. It will thus be seen that when the valve is under manual control it is operated in a manner directly opposite to that effected by the governor or automatic weight control and the manual operation is in fact in opposition to the governor weight action.

In operation, assuming the shaft 38 to be the drive shaft, the valve 28 is manually held in refacturedand which is highly efficient for the lntended purpose.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim: l. In a hydraulic transmission, a drive shaft, a body mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, said body having a closed chamber therein, a conduit communicating with opposed portions of said chamber, 'a driven member rotatable in said chamber and including outwardly extending portions engaging opposed walls of said chamber to thereby force liquid through said chamber and said conduit when said body rotates about said driven member, a valve chamber intermediate the length of said conduit, a valve member slidable in said valve chamber and adapted to control passage of liquid through said conduit whereby hydraulic pressure causes the driven member to rotate, one side of said valve having a tapered recess, a crank, one end of said crank being fitted in said recess, a recess in said valve chamber, said crank being pivoted in and extending through said last mentioned recess, and means to operate said crank.

2. In a hydraulic transmission, a drive shaft, a body mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, said body having a closed chamber therein, a conduit communicating with opposed portions of said chamber, a driven member rotatable in said chamber and including outwardly extending portions engaging opposed walls of said chamber to thereby force liquidA through said chamber and said conduit when said body rotates about said drivenmember, a valve chamber intermediate the length of said conduit, a valve tracted, or open, position, and the shaft 38 is i put into rotation thus causing rotation of the entire structure with the exception of the housing 43, the yoke 5I, the lever 52, the disk I3 and the shaft I4. As the portions I8 engage the pistons 23, the pistons are forced into their respective slots. Pressure is maintained equal on both ends of each piston 23 since fiuidpasses from one end to the other through the bore 26. As the housing rotates, the liquid is forced into the two conduits 21 which are directly in advance of the portion 20 and is allowed to escape from the two conduits lying directly behind the portion 20. No liquid is allowed to pass by the portion 20. As the pistons engage the portions I9, the liquid between the piston and the portion 20 is allowed to .escape past the piston by means of the gutters 2 I.

As the valve 29 is manually moved forward to partially closed position and partially blocks communication between the conduits 21, the portion 20 forces the liquid against the piston and thus the disk I3 will start to rotate. As the valve is moved towards closed position', the amount of fluid in circulation decreases andthe speed of the driven member increases.

To adjust the speed at which the governor action occurs, theA set screws 42 may be loosened and the 'plates 40 and 4I and the housing 43 slid along the shaft 38 until the desired force is `exerted by the spring 58. The screws 42 are then tightened holding the plates 40 and 4I in place.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have invented a novel hydraulic member slidable in said valve chamber for controlling passage through said conduit whereby hydraulic pressure causes the driven member to rotate, a crank engaging said valve, a link pivotally connected to said crank, a pair of spaced plates secured to said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a cylindrical housing rotatably engag ing said plates, a disk having a peripheral recess and mounted on said drive shaft between said circular plates, said disk being slidable along said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, said link being secured to said disk, a yoke member having ears disposed engaging in said annular recess, a spring disposed about said drive shaft and between one of said circular plates and said disk, a ring secured to said drive shaft between the other of the circular plates and the disk, said ring having fly ball arms thereon engaging said disk whereby when said drive shaft rotates, the disk is moved against the spring, the disk tending to push 'the link to rotate the crank and y thus operate the valve.

, tates about said driven member, a valve chamtransmission which can be economically manu-,75

ber intermediate the length of said conduit, a valve member slidable in said valve chamber for controlling passage through said conduit whereby hydraulic pressure causes the driven member to rotate a crank engaging said valve, said valve chamber having a, recess, said crank being pivoted in said recess, a link pivotally connected tothe outer end of said crank, a pair of spaced circular plates secured to said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a cylindrical housi rotatably engaging the outer periphery of said circular plates, a disk having an annular recess inv the outer periphery thereof and slidabiy mounted onsaid drive shaft between said circular plates, said link extending through one of said circular plates and being secured to said disk, a yoke member having ears engaging disposed in said annular recess, said yoke member extending through said housing, a spring disposed about said drive shaitand between one of said circular plates and said disk, a ring'secured to said drive shaft between the other of the circular plates and the disk, said ring having opposed outwardly extending ears thereon, iiy ball arms pivoted on said last mentioned ears and engaging the-adjacent face of the disk at one end thereof whereby when said drive shaft rotates, the balls are urged outwardly\by centrifugal force thus urging the remote ends of the L-shaped arms against the disk, and thereby urging the disk against the spring, the disk tending to push the link to rotate the crank and thus operate the valve.

4. In a hydraulic transmission, a. drive shaft having a body mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, said body having a chamber therein, a driven shaft coaxial with the drive shaft, a disk rotatable in said chamber and mounted on said driven shaft,v,the outer periphery of said disk being spacedinwardly-fromthe outer periphery of said chamber thus forming an annular channel therebetween, said chamber being generally cylindrical with a portion of the outer periphery thereof curved inwardly and engaging the outer periphery of the disks to prevent passage of liquid thereby, said inwardly curved portion including tapered gutters therein lwhich .vanish at the portion where the chamber wall engaged the disk, said disk having diametrically opposed, inwardly extending slots, a piston in each slot, the outer face of the pistons conforming to the outer periphery of the chamber, means normally urging each piston against the chamber wall, a, plurality of conduits each communicating at one end thereof with the chamber on opposed sides of the disk engaging portion, a valve chamber in said body, the other ends of the to control communication between said conduits.

CHARLES B. COOK. 

